Veronica plant named ‘Allv1461’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Veronica  plant named ‘Allv1461’, characterized by its upright plant habit; freely flowering habit; dense inflorescences with numerous lilac-colored flowers; long flowering period; and suitability as a garden or container plant.

Botanical designation: Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata.

Cultivar denomination: ‘ALLV1461’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Veronica plant, botanically known as Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Allv1461’.

The new Veronica plant is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Cuijk, The Netherlands. The objective of the breeding program is to create new attractive Veronica plants that can be used as a garden or container plant.

The new Veronica plant originated from an open-pollination in July, 2013 of a proprietary selection of Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata identified as code number 9702, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with an unknown selection of Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Veronica plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant from within the progeny of the stated open-pollination in a controlled environment in Cuijk, The Netherlands in July, 2014.

Asexual reproduction of the new Veronica plant by vegetative cuttings in a controlled environment in Cuijk, The Netherlands, since March, 2015 has shown that the unique features of this new Veronica plant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Veronica have not been observed under all possible combinations of environmental conditions and cultural practices. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environmental conditions such as temperature and light intensity without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Allv1461’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Allv1461’ as a new and distinct Veronica plant:

-   -   1. Upright plant habit.     -   2. Freely flowering habit.     -   3. Dense inflorescences with numerous lilac-colored flowers.     -   4. Long flowering period.     -   5. Suitable as a garden or container plant.

Plants of the new Veronica differ primarily from plants of the female parent selection in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Veronica are shorter than plants of the         female parent selection.     -   2. Plants of the new Veronica and the female parent selection         differ in flower color as plants of the female parent selection         have blue-colored flowers.

Plants of the new Veronica can be compared to plants of Veronica longifolia ‘Allbizarre’, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Cuijk, The Netherlands, plants of the new Veronica differ primarily from plants of ‘Allbizarre’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Veronica are shorter than plants of         ‘Allbizarre’.     -   2. Plants of the new Veronica have terminal and axillary         inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Allbizarre’ only have terminal         inflorescences.     -   3. Flowers of plants of the new Veronica have stamens whereas         flowers of plants of ‘Allbizarre’ do not develop stamens.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the Veronica plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the actual colors of the new Veronica plant.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Allv1461’.

The photograph at the top of the second sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Allv1461’.

The photograph at the bottom of the second sheet is a close-up view of the upper surface of typical leaves of ‘Allv1461’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

Plants used for the aforementioned photographs and following description were grown during the summer in ground beds in an outdoor nursery in Rijswijk, The Netherlands and under cultural practices typical of commercial Veronica production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 15° C. to 30° C. and night temperatures ranged from 6° C. to 18° C. Plants were four months old when the photographs and the description were taken. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2015 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Veronica longifolia×Veronica spicata     ‘Allv1461’. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Proprietary selection of Veronica             longifolia×Veronica spicata identified as code number 9702,             not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unknown selection of Veronica             longifolia×Veronica spicata, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cutting.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 10 to 14 days at             temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 30° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 24 to 32             days at temperatures ranging from 12° C. to 30° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fleshy; typically white in color,             actual color of the roots is dependent on substrate             composition, water quality, fertilizer type and formulation,             substrate temperature and physiological age of roots.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant type.—Herbaceous perennial.         -   Plant and growth habit.—Broadly upright inverted triangle;             freely basal branching habit with about 47 lateral branches             developing per plant; moderately vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 49 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 46.2 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Length: About 17.4 cm. Diameter:             About 3 mm. Internode length: About 3.9 cm. Strength:             Strong. Aspect: Main stems, mostly upright; lateral             branches, about 30° from main stem. Texture and luster:             Densely pubescent; matte. Color: Close to 144B. -   Leaf description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Opposite, simple.         -   Length.—About 7.4 cm.         -   Width.—About 3.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate to narrowly ovate; moderately carinate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Truncate.         -   Margin.—Serrate.         -   Texture and luster, upper surface.—Glabrous; moderately             glossy.         -   Texture and luster, lower surface.—Mostly glabrous and along             midvein, sparsely pubescent; matte.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 143A.             Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 143B. Fully             expanded leaves, upper surface: Darker than between 139A and             147A; venation, close to 147C to 147D. Fully expanded             leaves, lower surface: Close to N137D; venation, close to             144B.         -   Petioles.—Length: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth. Color, upper and             lower surfaces: Close to 144B. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower arrangement and shape.—Single campanulate flowers             arranged on dense terminal and axillary racemes; flowers             face mostly outwardly.         -   Flowering habit.—Freely flowering habit with about 250             flowers developing per inflorescence and more than 6,000             flowers developing per plant during the flowering season.         -   Fragrance.—Faint; somewhat moldy.         -   Natural flowering season.—Long flowering period; plants             flower continuously from mid-June to late September in The             Netherlands.         -   Flower longevity as a cut flower.—About ten days; flowers             not persistent.         -   Flower longevity on the plant.—About 30 days; flowers not             persistent.         -   Flower buds.—Length: About 4.5 mm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Shape: Ovate. Color: Close to 85C; towards the base, close             to 85D.         -   Inflorescence height.—About 14.1 cm.         -   Inflorescence diameter.—About 2.2 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—About 7 mm.         -   Flower height.—About 8 mm.         -   Petals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four in a single whorl;             petals fused about 33.3% of the length from the base.             Length: About 6 mm. Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape:             Obovate. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire. Texture and luster,             upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; matte. Color:             When opening, upper and lower surfaces: Close to between 85D             and 91C. Fully opened, upper and lower surfaces: Close to             91C to 91D; color becoming closer to 91C with development.         -   Sepals.—Quantity and arrangement: Four in a single whorl;             sepals fused about 25% of the length from the base. Length:             About 1.5 mm to 2.5 mm. Width: About 1 mm. Shape: Narrowly             ovate. Apex: Acute. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color: When opening and fully             opened, upper surface: Close to 143B. When opening and fully             opened, lower surface: Close to 143B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 13.6 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm.             Aspect: Mostly upright. Strength: Strong. Texture: Smooth,             glabrous. Color: Close to 145A to 145B.         -   Pedicels.—Length: About 1 mm. Diameter: About 0.75 mm.             Aspect: About 45° from peduncle axis. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: Close to 144B to 144C.         -   Reproductive organs.—Stamens: Quantity per flower: Two.             Filament length: About 4.5 mm. Filament color: Close to 91D             to lighter than 91D. Anther shape: Double reniform, narrow.             Anther length: About 2 mm. Anther color: Close to 195C.             Pollen amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 8D. Pistils:             Quantity per flower: One. Pistil length: About 5 mm. Stigma             shape: Clavate. Stigma color: Close to 93C. Style length:             About 4.5 mm. Style color: Close to 91C to 91D. Ovary color:             Close to 144D.         -   Seeds and fruits.—Seed and fruit development has not been             observed on plants of the new Veronica to date. -   Disease & pest resistance: Plants of the new Veronica have not been     noted to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to Veronica     plants. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Veronica have exhibited good     garden performance and to be tolerant to rain, wind, high     temperatures about 35° C. and to be hardy to USDA Hardiness Zone 4. 

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct Veronica plant named ‘Allv1461’ as illustrated and described. 